Kurt Russell’s Secret Role in Making ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Authentic

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Kurt Russell’s character in the Quentin Tarantino film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” although smaller compared to his co-stars, was pivotal in contributing to the movie’s overall success. Set in the 1960s and marking Tarantino’s ninth production, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” delves into an alternate historical situation, much like his 2009 war film, “Inglourious Basterds.” The story revolves around fictional characters, Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth, striving to rejuvenate their flagging acting careers. Their paths intersect with members of the Charles Manson family.

The film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” received widespread appreciation from critics, often being referred to as Quentin Tarantino’s affectionate tribute to the 1960s. The cast and team behind this movie were lauded for their performances, with Brad Pitt earning his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, playing Cliff Booth. Throughout the making of the film, Quentin Tarantino worked diligently to create authentic and accurate representations of actual Hollywood stars, such as Margot Robbie portraying Sharon Tate, and was aided by Kurt Russell’s impactful guest appearance.

Kurt Russell Helped Keep Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Authentic

Tarantino Stated That Russell Knew About The 1960s The Best Out Of The Entire Cast

In the film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Kurt Russell portrayed two characters: Randy Miller and the movie’s narrator. As Randy Miller, Russell played a reluctant movie stunt coordinator who initially declined to hire Cliff Booth because of his checkered past. A mishap involving martial artist Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) led to Janet Miller’s car getting damaged, resulting in Booth being dismissed from the set. Quentin Tarantino noted that Russell’s involvement significantly enhanced the film’s authenticity.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m excited to share a behind-the-scenes tidbit from the making of Quentin Tarantino’s latest masterpiece, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” In our conversations during production, Kurt Russell generously shared his early acting tales from the 1960s. While working with Burt Reynolds and Bruce Dern – both of whom I collaborated with but unfortunately passed away during production – was enlightening, Kurt Russell offered a unique perspective as he was, in Tarantino’s words, “the youngest guy I can work with who actually lived that life.” The insights Kurt provided were invaluable in ensuring the authenticity of our film.

Kurt Russell’s Incredible Career Meant That He Knew Everyone Tarantino Was Writing About

His Acting Career Spans An Impressive Six Decades

Kurt Russell’s long, spanning-over-six-decades acting journey gave him a special bond with the time period portrayed in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Kicking off his acting career at 12 as a young cowboy in the Western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964), he later graced the screens twice on the TV series, Gunsmoke (1969). Before moving onto Disney action movies like Follow Me, Boys! (1966) and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), his background in working on diverse projects from the 1960s equipped him with an understanding of how movie studios functioned, which proved valuable when portraying the different stars featured in Quentin Tarantino’s hit film.

Quentin Tarantino credited Kurt Russell’s extensive acting background for making the film era depicted in “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” as authentic as possible, according to Slashfilm. Tarantino explained that Russell had worked with nearly everyone during his career, which helped him ensure that every historical character portrayed in the movie was realistic and true-to-life. Throughout the film, Russell demonstrated he was not just playing Randy Miller, but also lending his expertise to make “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” both critically and commercially successful.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Slashfilm

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2025-05-03 16:57